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August 2, 2018

Motorola Solutions Reports Second-Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Company raises full-year revenue and earnings outlook
 
• Sales of $1.8 billion, up 18 percent from a year ago
• Organic revenue1 growth of 6 percent
• Backlog of $9.4 billion, up $919 million or 11 percent from a year ago
• GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of $1.05, up 35 percent
• Non-GAAP EPS* of $1.46, up 30 percent
 
CHICAGO – Aug. 2, 2018 – Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI) today reported its earnings results for the second quarter of 2018. Click here for a printable news release and financial tables.
 
"Our outstanding second-quarter results highlight the continued strength of our land mobile radio business and momentum in services and software," said Greg Brown, chairman and CEO of Motorola Solutions. "With our strong earnings, cash generation and highest Q2 backlog position ever, we are well positioned for continued growth."
 
KEY FINANCIAL RESULTS (presented in millions, except per share data and percentages)

  Q2 2018  Q2 2017 % Change
  Sales $1,760 $1,497 18%
 
GAAP
  Operating Earnings $273 $261 5%
  % of Sales 15.5% 17.4%  
  EPS $1.05 $0.78 35%
 
Non-GAAP
  Operating Earnings $378 $316 20%
  % of Sales 21.5% 21.1%  
  EPS $1.46 $1.12 30%
 
Products and Systems Integration Segment
  Sales $1,189 $1,047 14%
  GAAP Operating Earnings $175 $190 (8)%
  % of Sales 14.7% 18.1%  
  Non-GAAP Operating Earnings $226 $204 11%
  % of Sales 19.0% 19.5%  
 
Services and Software Segment
  Sales $571 $450 27%
  GAAP Operating Earnings $98 $71 38%
  % of Sales 17.2% 15.8%  
  Non-GAAP Operating Earnings $152 $112 36%
  % of Sales 26.6% 24.9%  

 

*Non-GAAP financial information excludes the after-tax impact of approximately $0.41 per diluted share related to share-based compensation, intangible assets amortization expense and highlighted items. Details on these non-GAAP adjustments and the use of non-GAAP measures are included later in this news release.
                           
OTHER SELECTED FINANCIAL RESULTS
Revenue - Sales increased $263 million, or 18 percent from the year-ago quarter, driven by growth in all regions. Approximately $154 million of revenue growth was related to acquisitions, and $24 million was related to the adoption of accounting standard ASC 606. The Products and Systems Integration segment grew 14 percent driven by the Americas and EMEA. The Services and Software segment grew 27 percent led by the Americas and EMEA.
Operating margin - GAAP operating margin was 15.5 percent of sales, compared with 17.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. The decline reflects higher operating expenses related to acquisitions, partially offset by higher gross margins in Services, the adoption of ASC 606 and favorable mix. Non-GAAP operating margin was 21.5 percent of sales, compared with 21.1 percent in the year-ago quarter driven by higher gross margin partially offset by higher operating expenses related to acquisitions.
Cash flow - Operating cash flow was $425 million, compared with $173 million of operating cash generated in the year-ago quarter. Free cash flow2 was $384 million, compared with $120 million of free cash flow generated in the year-ago quarter. Cash flow for the quarter was higher on improved working capital and higher earnings.
Capital allocation - The company paid $84 million in cash dividends. From a debt perspective, the company repaid $100 million on the revolving credit facility ahead of schedule, leaving an outstanding balance of $300 million. The company also repaid the remaining $40 million revolver balance assumed in the Avigilon acquisition and closed this credit facility.
Backlog - The company ended the quarter with backlog of $9.4 billion, up $919 million from the year-ago quarter. Products and Systems Integration segment backlog was up 13 percent or $367 million, and Services and Software was up 10 percent or $552 million. Land mobile radio demand led by the Americas continues to drive backlog growth.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Services and Software wins
• $50 million for a multi-year services agreement for a county wide P25 system in North America
• $41 million for command center software and 10-year services award in Asia
• $16 million multi-year services renewal in Chile
 
Products and Systems Integration wins
• $71 million P25 system upgrade in Northern Africa
• $35 million P25 expansion for New South Wales Telco Authority in Australia
• $15 million P25 system replacement for Flagler County, Florida
• $495 million five-year IDIQ (indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity) P25 radio upgrade for U.S. Army
 
BUSINESS OUTLOOK
Third-quarter 2018 - Motorola Solutions expects revenue growth of approximately 13 percent compared with the third quarter of 2017. The company expects non-GAAP earnings in the range of $1.67 to $1.72 per share. This assumes 173 million fully diluted shares.
Full-year 2018 - The company now expects revenue growth of approximately 14.5 percent, up from the prior outlook of 14 percent including $40 million of unfavorable currency impact since our prior guidance. The company now expects non-GAAP earnings per share in the range of $6.79 to $6.89, up from the prior guidance of $6.70 to $6.85. This assumes current foreign exchange rates, approximately 172 million fully diluted shares and a 25 percent effective tax rate.
 
CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST Motorola Solutions will host its quarterly conference call beginning at 4 p.m. U.S. Central Daylight Time (5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Daylight Time) on Thursday, Aug. 2. The conference call will be webcast live at www.motorolasolutions.com/investor.
 
CONSOLIDATED GAAP RESULTS (presented in millions, except per share data)
A comparison of results from operations is as follows:
  Q2 2018 Q2 2017
Net sales $1,760 $1,497
Gross margin 822 690
Operating earnings 273 261
Amounts attributable to Motorola Solutions, Inc. common stockholders
Net earnings

180

131
Diluted EPS $1.05 $0.78
Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding 171.7 169.0


HIGHLIGHTED ITEMS AND SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION EXPENSE
The table below includes highlighted items, share-based compensation expense and intangible amortization for the second quarter of 2018.
 

(per diluted common share) Q2 2018
   
GAAP Earnings $1.05
   
Highlighted Items:  
Share-based compensation expense 0.08
Reorganization of business charges 0.10
Intangibles amortization expense 0.23
Avigilon purchase accounting adjustment 0.04
Sale of investments 0.01
Loss on foreign currency related to Avigilon purchase 0.01
FIN 48 reserve 0.01
State audit settlement (0.07)
   
Non-GAAP Diluted EPS $1.46

 

USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
In addition to the GAAP results included in this presentation, Motorola Solutions also has included non-GAAP measurements of results. The company has provided these non-GAAP measurements to help investors better understand its core operating performance, enhance comparisons of core operating performance from period to period and allow better comparisons of operating performance to its competitors. Among other things, management uses these operating results, excluding the identified items, to evaluate performance of the businesses and to evaluate results relative to certain incentive compensation targets. Management uses operating results excluding these items because it believes this measurement enables it to make better period-to-period evaluations of the financial performance of core business operations. The non-GAAP measurements are intended only as a supplement to the comparable GAAP measurements and the company compensates for the limitations inherent in the use of non-GAAP measurements by using GAAP measures in conjunction with the non-GAAP measurements. As a result, investors should consider these non-GAAP measurements in addition to, and not in substitution for or as superior to, measurements of financial performance prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
 
Organic revenue:  Reflects net sales calculated under GAAP excluding net sales from acquired business owned for less than four full quarters, and excludes the affects of ASC 606. Management believes organic revenue helps it and investors better identify the underlying trends of established and ongoing operations by excluding the effects of acquisitions and accounting adjustments which can obscure period to period comparisons.
 
Highlighted items: The company has excluded the effects of highlighted items including, but not limited to, acquisition-related transaction costs, tangible and intangible asset impairments, restructuring charges, non-cash pension adjustments, significant litigation and other contingencies, significant gains and losses on investments, and the income tax effects of significant tax matters, from its non-GAAP operating expenses and net income measurements because the company believes that these historical items do not reflect expected future operating earnings or expenses and do not contribute to a meaningful evaluation of the company's current operating performance or comparisons to the company's past operating performance. For the purposes of management's internal analysis over operating performance, the company uses financial statements that exclude highlighted items, as these charges do not contribute to a meaningful evaluation of the company's current operating performance or comparisons to the company's past operating performance.
 
Share-based compensation expense: The company has excluded share-based compensation expense from its non-GAAP operating expenses and net income measurements. Although share-based compensation is a key incentive offered to the company’s employees and the company believes such compensation contributed to the revenue earned during the periods presented and also believes it will contribute to the generation of future period revenues, the company continues to evaluate its performance excluding share-based compensation expense primarily because it represents a significant non-cash expense. Share-based compensation expense will recur in future periods.
 
Intangible assets amortization expense: The company has excluded intangible assets amortization expense from its non-GAAP operating expenses and net earnings measurements, primarily because it represents a non-cash expense and because the company evaluates its performance excluding intangible assets amortization expense. Amortization of intangible assets is consistent in amount and frequency but is significantly affected by the timing and size of the company’s acquisitions. Investors should note that the use of intangible assets contributed to the company’s revenues earned during the periods presented and will contribute to the company’s future period revenues as well. Intangible assets amortization expense will recur in future periods.
 
Details of the above items and reconciliations of the non-GAAP measurements to the corresponding GAAP measurements can be found at the end of this press release.
 
BUSINESS RISKS
 
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable federal securities law. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and generally include words such as “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimates” and similar expressions. The company can give no assurance that any actual or future results or events discussed in these statements will be achieved. Any forward-looking statements represent the company’s views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any subsequent date. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause the company’s actual results to differ materially from the statements contained in this release. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, Motorola Solutions’ financial outlook for the third quarter and full year of 2018. Motorola Solutions cautions the reader that the risk factors below, as well as those on pages 8 through 20 in Item 1A of Motorola Solutions’ 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its other SEC filings available for free on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on Motorola Solutions’ website at www.motorolasolutions.com, could cause Motorola Solutions’ actual results to differ materially from those estimated or predicted in the forward-looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties cannot be controlled by Motorola Solutions, and factors that may impact forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (1) the economic outlook for the government communications industry; (2) the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on the company; (3) the level of demand for the company's products; (4) the company's ability to refresh existing and introduce new products and technologies in a timely manner; (5) exposure under large systems and managed services contracts, including risks related to the fact that certain customers require that the company build, own and operate their systems, often over a multi-year period; (6) negative impact on the company's business from global economic and political conditions, which may include: (i) continued deferment or cancellation of purchase orders by customers; (ii) the inability of customers to obtain financing for purchases of the company's products; (iii) increased demand to provide vendor financing to customers; (iv) increased financial pressures on third-party dealers, distributors and retailers; (v) the viability of the company's suppliers that may no longer have access to necessary financing; (vi) counterparty failures negatively impacting the company’s financial position; (vii) changes in the value of investments held by the company's pension plan and other defined benefit plans, which could impact future required or voluntary pension contributions; and (viii) the company’s ability to access the capital markets on acceptable terms and conditions; (7) the impact of a security breach or other significant disruption in the company’s IT systems, those of its partners or suppliers or those it sells to or operates or maintains for its customers; (8) the outcome of ongoing and future tax matters; (9) the company's ability to purchase sufficient materials, parts and components to meet customer demand, particularly in light of global economic conditions and reductions in the company’s purchasing power; (10) risks related to dependence on certain key suppliers, subcontractors, third-party distributors and other representatives; (11) the impact on the company's performance and financial results from strategic acquisitions or divestitures; (12) risks related to the company's manufacturing and business operations in foreign countries; (13) the creditworthiness of the company's customers and distributors, particularly purchasers of large infrastructure systems; (14) the ownership of certain logos, trademarks, trade names and service marks including “MOTOROLA” by Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc.; (15) variability in income received from licensing the company's intellectual property to others, as well as expenses incurred when the company licenses intellectual property from others; (16) unexpected liabilities or expenses, including unfavorable outcomes to any pending or future litigation or regulatory or similar proceedings; (17) the impact of the percentage of cash and cash equivalents held outside of the United States; (18) the ability of the company to pay future dividends due to possible adverse market conditions or adverse impacts on the company’s cash flow; (19) the ability of the company to complete acquisitions or repurchase shares under its repurchase program due to possible adverse market conditions or adverse impacts on the company’s cash flow; (20) the impact of changes in governmental policies, laws or regulations; (21) negative consequences from the company's use of third party vendors for various activities, including certain manufacturing operations, information technology and administrative functions; and (22) the company’s ability to settle the par value of its Senior Convertible Notes in cash. Motorola Solutions undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement or risk factor, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise
 
DEFINITIONS
1 Organic revenue reflects net sales calculated under GAAP excluding net sales from acquired business owned for less than four full quarters and excluding the effects of ASC 606.
Free cash flow represents operating cash flow less capital expenditures.
 
ABOUT MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS
Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) creates mission-critical communications solutions, including devices, networks, services, software and video, that help public safety and commercial customers build safer cities and thriving communities. For ongoing news, visit www.motorolasolutions.com/newsroom .
 

Media and Investors Contacts

Kelly Palecek

Motorola Solutions

Media Contact

(312) 914 5008

Kelly Palecek

Motorola Solutions

Investor Contact

(312) 914 5008

Kelly Palecek

Motorola Solutions

Media Contact

(312) 914 5008

Kelly Palecek

Motorola Solutions

Investor Contact

(312) 914 5008

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